Automatic guard and circuit-breaker.



F. JIRA.

AUTOMAIIC GUARD AND CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG,28| I916- Patented Jan.15,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEETI m v W4C F. JIRA.

AUTOMATIC GUARD AND CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28. 1916.

1 ,@53,83% 6 Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Amour; my 3 F. JIRA.

AUTOMATIC GUARD AND CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLICATiON FILED AUG 28.1916.

1L 9 Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

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INVENTOR ans near FREDERICK JIRA, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK JIRA, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city andcounty ofSan Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Guards and Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to elevators, and to means for automatically operating. guards which are movable to protect the sidewalk opening when not occupied by the elevator platform, and to cause the guard to be withdrawn, when the opening is closed. It also comprises means by which the movements of the elevator platforms act to operate a circuit breaker, and to arrest the movement of the platform, at either end, of its journey, or in case of an obstruction which might cause an accident, and in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings in which- I v Figure l is'a front elevation of elevator with platform at bottom of shaft.

Fig. 2 is front elevation of elevator showing automatic safety stop in operation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of elevator.

Fig. 4 is a partial elevation of elevator from opposite side to Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial plan of elevator.

Fig. 6 is a partial horizontal section through 6-6 of one corner of elevator.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section through line 7--7 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged partial elevation of Fig. 4, showing operation of automatic safety stop on gate. a

My invention is here illustrated in connection with a sidewalk elevator in which a platform A is movable between guide posts 2 from a basement to the sidewalk level 3. An opening is made in the sidewalk into which the elevators platform just fits when at the top of its travel. Doors at are hinged to opposite edges of the opening and close to meet on a center line, level with the sidewalk. A rigid segment 5 has its ends fixed to the platform and it arches upward so as to contact with the doors and raise them outwardly about their hinges, as the platform rises, until, when the platform is level with the sidewalk the doors will stand approximately vertical, in which position they are retained by chains 6 and rod (3 and thus serve as guards to two sides of the opening.

Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC GUARD AND CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Patented if an. 135, 11.91%.

Application filed August 28, 1916. Serial No. 117,208.

An intermediate side is protected by a guard or gate 7 which is slidable in guides extending downward along the posts 2, and is raised or depressed in unison with the movements of the platform A, as follows:

The platform is suspended and moved by means of ropes 8 passing over suitably disposed pulleys 9 beneath the sidewalk, these ropes being connected with a main hoisting rope 8 which may be connected with a winding drum. and a motor. Guided weightslO have connections 11 with. yokes 14 which curve around the parts 2 and are connected with slides 15 which are caused to move vertically by guideson the posts 2, as shown in Figs. 8 and 6.

When the platform A is at its lowest point the weights 10 are also down and the gate 7 is up. ments carried by it contact with the yokes 1% raising them and the connected weights 10 and at the same time allowing the ropes 11 to move around the pulleys 12. The opposite ends of these ropes are connected with extensions below the gate 7, shown in Fig. st, and thus allow the gate to descend as the platform goes'up, until, when the platform is level with the sidewalk surface, the gate will be at or below that level. When the platform is lowered, a reversal of this operation takes place and the weights 10 act, through the ropes 11 moving aroundthe pulleys 12, to raise the gate to its safety position.

In order to stop the elevator platform when it arrives at either end of its travel. I have shown an electrical switch 16 by which the motor is controlled and means operated by the movements of the platform, to open the motor actuating circuit at the proper times. As here shown, this means includes a vertically slidable rod 17, the lower end of which is guided below the platform and the upper end upon a cross frame timber near the top, as shown in Fig. 3. Connected with the rod 17 near the upper end, is a short bar 19, the" upper end of which has a lug 17 which is adapted to be engaged by the platform as it approaches the upper limit of its travel and it thus acts to push the rod 17 up. Near the lower terminus of the platform travel is another lug 17 in such position that the platform will contact with it as it approaches the lower end of its travel and pull the rod 17 down. The lower end of the rod has two W hen "the platform rises, attach i ll) this lever moves over an are having switch points 16' at each end ofthe path of'travel of the arm 16.

The movement of the arm in one direction" makes contact with one point which energizes the motor to, through its connections,

move the platform in one direction or the .other, and when the platform has reached either end of its travel the switch will be automatically disconnected by the action of the lugs 17 moving the lever 16.

It sometimes happens that, some part of the elevator load, or a person, will be carelessly left to project beyond the edge of the platform and thus cause an accident by crushing between the platform and the side of the opening. In order to prevent this, a bar 20 is supported by hinged links 21 parallel with, and contiguous to, the elevator opening and so near that anything projecting from the platform would raise the bar. The ends of the bar rest upon supports 22 which are electrically connected to maintain the motor circuit, and the bar is held down by a light spring 23, the tension of which will be overcome and the bar lifted by contact of anything projecting from the platform, and thecircuit thus broken, and the platform stopped.

Various modifications of this invention may be employed, with the same result, and

within the scope of this specification and claims, and I do not waive my title to modifications. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a sidewalk elevator, a vertically guided platform, a gate for projection above the sidewalk having downward post extensions, a pulley adjacent each of the latter, cables attached at one end to the lower ends of the post extensions and passing upwardly over the pulleys, vertically guided weights attached at the opposite ends of the cables, and means for lifting the weights arranged thereabove and connected thereto for lifting vertically on the weights, said means having a part normally arranged in the path of Copies of this patent may be obtained for five connected to the opposite end of each cable for normally holding the gate operative, a pair of superposed brackets on each post, guide rods connecting the superposed brackets for guiding the weights, aslidemember slidably mounted on each guide post, a U- shaped bracketsecured to each ,slide member instraddlingrelation tothe post, one

arm of the U bracket being engageable by the platform for moving the slide member,

means connecting the oppositearmto the adjacent weight for liftingthe same on movement of the slide member to permit a lowering of the gate.

3. In a sidewalk elevator, a platform, a

gate, a pair of vertical guides for the gate,

each guide having a trackwayh disposed longitudinally, a slide member movable. by

the platform on each trackway and having an inwardly extend ng arm, means connected to the gate for holding the same operative, a. connection between the 'arms 1 j and said means for rendering the gate inoperative.

l. In a sldewalk elevat ona platform,;a gate, a pairof vertical guides forthegate,

each guidehaving anI-sectionedtrackway disposed longitudinally thereof, a slide member on each trackway embracing the opposite sides of the web-of the latter, a substantially U-shaped bracket for each slide member secured at its basejto the'latter with its side arms extending on opposite sides of the respective guide, one side arm being engageable by the platform to move the slide member in one direction, and means for rendering the gate operative and connected to the other side arm for moving the respective slide member in the opposite direction. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

respirator; Juan.

Witnesses A. L. PAasons, E. M. Loser.

cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

